Raoul H. Fleischmann

Raoul H. Fleischmann was an American publisher and businessman best known as the co-founder and primary financial backer of The New Yorker magazine. A member of the wealthy Fleischmann Yeast Company family, he provided the crucial capital and business acumen that allowed editor Harold Ross to launch the iconic publication in 1925. Fleischmann served as the magazine's president and publisher for decades, shepherding it from a precarious start to a cornerstone of American literary and journalistic culture, though he often remained in the shadow of its more famous editorial figures.

Early life and family

Raoul H. Fleischmann was born on October 11, 1895, in New York City, into considerable wealth derived from the Fleischmann Yeast Company, founded by his grandfather Charles Louis Fleischmann. He was the son of Julius Fleischmann and attended preparatory school at the Middlesex School in Massachusetts. Fleischmann did not attend college, instead embarking on a series of ventures that included a stint as a race car driver and service in the United States Army during World War I. His family's prominence placed him within influential social and financial circles in New York City, connections that would later prove instrumental. The Fleischmann family was also known for its patronage of the arts and significant philanthropic activities.

Career and The New Yorker

Fleischmann's pivotal career chapter began in 1924 when he was introduced to Harold Ross, a mercurial editor with a vision for a sophisticated weekly magazine for the New York metropolitan audience. Despite the failure of his previous investment in the *Judge* magazine, Fleischmann was persuaded by Ross and writer Jane Grant, Ross's wife, to fund the new venture. He invested $25,000 of his own capital to establish the F-R Publishing Company, named for Fleischmann and Ross, and became its president. The first issue of The New Yorker was published on February 21, 1925. The magazine initially struggled financially, requiring Fleischmann to inject hundreds of thousands of additional dollars to keep it afloat, often amid tense disagreements with Ross over budgets and management.

As publisher, Fleischmann handled all business operations, allowing Ross and his successors, including William Shawn, to focus on editorial content. He navigated the magazine through the Great Depression and oversaw its expansion, including the establishment of its famed cartoon department and the introduction of long-form journalism. Fleischmann's steady leadership and willingness to subsidize losses for years were critical to the magazine's survival and eventual profitability. His tenure saw the publication cultivate legendary contributors such as E. B. White, James Thurber, Dorothy Parker, and J. D. Salinger. He remained actively involved with the magazine's business affairs until his retirement in the 1960s.

Personal life and legacy

Fleischmann was married twice. His first marriage was to actress and activist Ruth Hale in 1920; they divorced in 1928. In 1929, he married Katharine Sergeant Angell White, a pioneering editor at The New Yorker and the first fiction editor of the magazine. Katharine was the former wife of writer Ernest Angell and later married essayist E. B. White. Through his marriage to Katharine, Fleischmann became the stepfather to Roger Angell, who would become a celebrated writer for The New Yorker and *The New York Times*. Fleischmann's legacy is intrinsically tied to the endurance and cultural authority of The New Yorker. While not a literary figure himself, his financial commitment and business stewardship created the stable platform that allowed a unique editorial voice to flourish, influencing American letters, political commentary, and humor for nearly a century.

Awards and recognition

While Fleischmann did not seek the public spotlight, his contributions to publishing were acknowledged within the industry. His role was crucial in the magazine receiving numerous National Magazine Awards over the decades. In 1965, on the 40th anniversary of The New Yorker, the magazine's staff honored him for his foundational support. Fleischmann's induction into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame, while posthumously considered, underscores his status as a pivotal but often understated architect of one of the world's most respected periodicals. His story is a classic case of the essential patron in the arts, whose belief and capital enabled a transformative creative enterprise.

Category:American publishers Category:1895 births Category:1969 deaths Category:The New Yorker people